Simple Woman's Daybook~May 11th Edition

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For Today....May 11, 2010

Outside my window~ the grass needs cut, but hubby is a busy man right now. If I wasn't allergic, I would gladly do it for him. My unknown tree in the middle of the front yard is blooming now, and it's just beautiful. One day I hope to find out what kind of tree it is!

I am thinking~ about how in the world I'm going to lose this weight when my back won't allow me to exercise. I'm just going to have to be really, really careful about what I eat, and walk every chance I get!

I am thankful for~God's patience with me. If He had my patience, He would of given up on me decades ago. I feel like I have learned so much, but know that I've only barely begun to tap into the knowledge and Wisdom He has to offer me. I have an entire lifetime of learning to go still! I'm also thankful for the wonderful Authors He has placed out there, and the wisdom He has given to them to share with me and others. I have grown so much through their books, with the Holy Spirits help. I'm oh so thankful!

I am wearing~a light pink tank top and black capri sweatpants. After I finish this, and read my bible, I will get dressed for the day.

I am going~to possibly have to make a trip to Walmart. I don't like going there, and I try to wait until church days, so I don't waste gas and can do it all in one trip, but that may not work this time.

I am currently reading~Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. I think this is the BEST book I have ever read. To be honest, I don't want to be finished with it. That's why I am pacing myself. It has helped me beyond words, and I want to still read more every day. In fact, I may come back and reread it a little bit at a time for years, just to keep it fresh in my mind. I have found my life's purpose in this book!

I am hoping~to go to Kansas and Colorado in August. We are really praying, and really trying to go. How wonderful it would be to see both our families in one big trip! Mike's mom is not well AT ALL and he is going to go see her whether we can all go or not. I'm really hoping it will be all of us! On my side of the family, this may be the last time that the whole extended family can be there together. They are having an 80th birthday party for my Grandma and they want all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids to be there. I pray the Lord would allow us to be there. Some of you remember that they tried to do it at Christmas, and I was the only one not there... it broke my heart.

On my mind~ My 6 year old son has not been helped by his recent trip to the allergy specialist. He changed his meds, and it did him no good at all. He still coughs all day long and his eyes were so irritated that he got allergy conjunctivitis in both his eyes. Thankfully it went away in just a couple days without medicine, but still. My heart aches for him. I can't stand not being able to make him better. I am praying that the Lord would show us what to do. A different specialist, or wisdom for his current one, to do and find the right help for my dear, sweet son.

Noticing that~it takes me a LONG TIME to do this post every week. I hope I can keep it up.

From the learning rooms~3 weeks to go! It's not that I want to be done, I'm just excited for next years curriculum! I'm sure that when they're all older, I'll be happy and exceedingly ready for summer break. But as for now, I love teaching and don't want a break! Plus, my boys get in trouble when they don't have something constructive to do! Good thing I have reading planned for the summer!

From the kitchen~Nothing exciting. Our budget is so tight as we try to save for the trip, I'm not really getting creative in the kitchen. Simple filling meals, is what we're after!

Around the house~Lots to do. I have to finish my list from yesterday. I had several interruptions in the day yesterday, and I just sat and enjoyed hubby last night. So, I'll be working on that list today! The kids are currently cleaning the dining and living room. Well, except Miss. Piggy. I hear her in the bathroom, probably soaking her hair in the sink!

From my picture journal~

My mother did these. One is an actual oil painting, and one is a framed print of a section of an oil painting she did. It's titled "Lean On Me." My Grandma has the original painting, and one day it will be passed down to me. The girl in the first painting is me! My mother painted this after I was saved. It's me walking from the darkness, into the light. What a joy it is for me to look at this painting. I know my mother poured her whole heart and soul into it. I hope for it to be passed down to one of my daughters some day! Anyway, I had to show you where my artistic talent came from!

Move It Monday

It's here! Another Monday! Another chance to start of the week in a good frame of mind, and on the right foot, so to speak! Well, I have made my special Monday morning breakfast and am now writing out my list of what I want to get done today. I have been doing so well with staying on top of the housework ever since I started this post. It's amazing what starting the week off MOVING IT, can do for the rest of the week! Always playing catch-up is how my life as a homemaker has been for years, and I love being ahead or "on schedule" instead! It's much more peaceful for me, and for my family. I even had time this weekend to put up decor that had been waiting for it's place on the living room wall since we bought this house 2 1/2 years ago! I can't wait to share those pictures with you this Friday! Well, let's see, to keep me moving today and getting a great start to this week, I plan to:

Wash the dishes_DONE

Start a load of laundry

Sweep & mop kitchen floor

Vacuum the dining room

Sweep & mop living room floor

Start second load of laundry

Put away ALL the girl's clothes in their new place

Water outdoor flowers_DONE

Organize & Vacuum in Master Bedroom

That's my list today, on top of doing schoolwork with the boys. What are you doing to make Monday a day to look forward to? To start the week on the right foot? Whether you work in the home, or outside the home, take away the Monday blues, and make it fantastic! (Even though my Mom hasn't been able to work in years due to her MS, she likes the Starbucks on Monday idea! You can thank me later Dad!)

Project Organized Home-I WENT CRAZY!

Well, do you know what happens when you have these lying around the house...

And a whole bunch of these...?

And you have to stay on your feet all day, because sitting is the worst thing you can do for your lower back issues? Well, I don't know what you would do, but in the following pictures, you will see what I did...!

An old black iron lamp got a redo! I'm glad I did it too, because when hubby saw it, he said, "that looks nice. I was getting ready to throw that thing in the trash!" I guess I saved this poor lamp from it's doom, without even knowing it!

I had some canvas that I was saving for some more oil paintings, but with my youngest being so curious, I haven't been able to get out the oil paints and thinner. Just too dangerous to her well being! So, they worked perfect for some acrylic painting. Acrylic dries fast, and you can clean up the brushes with soap and water! I originally was going to hang them here, as a group, but it didn't want to lose my last supper painting, so they got moved to the other side of the room. As you can see, I also went completely crazy, painting on the walls! This is one of my all time favorite scriptures!

My 5 year old daughter begged me to paint all over the "kids corner." How can I refuse?

So below is how the wall ended out. I do like still having my Last Supper up, and it matches the room so well. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but the colors in it, actually match the colors in the flowers on the wall as well....

I know my dining room looked great, and showcase like before, but doesn't this add so much color to the room?! I feel so much more cheerful and uplifted when I walk into the room now. And this room is where the boys do their schoolwork most days, so it's nice to have it brighter for them. I like having the three paintings here, as shown in the picture below, because they tie that side of the room together. The dining room has always been a challenge to pull together, because it has 5 doors or doorways and one window in it..plus the stairs. I think this is the best it's ever looked as far as tying the whole room together...!

So, now you know what happens when I have to stay busy for too long! I could've done more laundry, but you can only do so much of that you know?! And even though it's crazy, it fit our personalities and makes our home better for us!

I AM Wednesday

I AM...

...going to start drinking 6 glasses of water a day

...going to take my vitamins EVERY day

...going to make a checklist every morning of what I want to accomplish each day, and use it as a guide for my day

...determined to put everything in it's place, and KEEP it there!

...focusing on reverencing my husband as the bible commands

...putting our families financial goals in front of my "wants"

...asking God to give me wisdom about what is a "want" and what is a "need" for our family

...praying earnestly for my extended family. They are always in my thoughts and in my heart, but too often I neglect them in my prayers

...reading my bible and christian growth book EVERY NIGHT so as to be sensitive to God's will and at peace in my heart

I AM really trying to be a good steward of all that God has given me. Reminding myself, that to whom much is given, much is required. God has given me eternal life, saved me from a life that had no value or worth, and given me a strong, loving, faithful husband and 4 beautiful, precious individually different children to bless my days. He's also provided me with a wonderful home in which to make a haven of rest for my husband, and a safe & loving environment for my children to grow and learn according to His Word. How blessed I AM and how much more I need to be doing to show my gratitude!

The Simple Woman's Daybook~May 4th Edition

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For Today...May 4th, 2010

Outside my window~the birds are having a field day out there this morning. All the rain we got yesterday brought those worms to the surface and the birds are enjoying a feast! Boy, if you're ever having a bad day, just be glad you're not a worm...they usually wind up being eaten by a bird or fish bait!

I am thinking~ that this rain has made my weeds grow overnight! Hubby's going to have to mow the lawn before the weekend. I wish we had a cheap and easy way to kill these weeds and get good grass growing. When we had the drought in Georgia, you couldn't water the yard, and that meant you couldn't plant seed. So during those years, many yards got overtaken by weeds. I don't want to use harmful pesticides to kill them either, too many kids and dogs in the yard. Our yard is so big, that we can't afford to use the more expensive, but kid and earth friendly week killers. I guess I'll have to just look the other way! I'll enjoy my flowers and trees instead!

I am thankful for~ God's Holy, precious, Word. It is there for me all the time, it is faithful, even when I am not. It lifts me up, encourages me, instructs me, and disciplines me. My life is not very joyful when I fail to be in God's Word every day. It's something I struggle with, but am really trying to overcome. I'm so thankful that God gave it to us, and that we live in a country where we can still read it at our own free will!

I am wearing~ a black polyester shirt and a mid-calf black skirt with white, gray and blue flowers. Very comfy, and very pretty! I don't have any shoes on right now, but if the need arises, I'll put on my black flip flops.

I am going~ hopefully no where! I have a lot I want to do today still, and this evening, the Biggest Loser will be on. The ONE AND ONLY show that I allow myself to watch every week. I don't like to miss it!

I am currently reading~ Created to be His Helpmeet, by Debi Pearl. One of the most convicting but absolutely necessary, books I have ever read. I wish they would hand out this book to every Christian couple, or Christian wife when they get married. I certainly should have been following these biblical principles years ago!

I am hoping~ that the Lord will work it out for us to go to Kansas and Colorado in August. We haven't seen hubby's parents since we left Kansas almost 3 years ago. His mom is in horrible shape, and we really want to get the grandkids there for her to see. It would be such a blessing for her. And in Colorado, where I grew up, my Grandma is having her 80th birthday party and they are trying desperately to get the whole family there to celebrate. I was the only one at Christmas that wasn't there for that, and I don't want to be the only one who's not there for her birthday party. It's so important to me, so I'm really praying. You never know when your last chance to see someone you love is. It may be the last time we are all together as an extended family.

From the learning rooms~ only 4 weeks left! How exciting! We are nearing the home stretch and I'm already looking forward to next years curriculum. One day at a time, I must remind myself!

Around the house~ busy! Laundry, mopping, organizing, cooking, schoolwork, cleaning! And we'll try to throw some playing in there somewhere!

From my picture journal~

I want to try to do somemore of this as a family. It's been almost a year since we fished as a family, and we've got the fever! Guess I should of been having a field day with the worms this morning!

Move It Monday!

Well, I am getting a late start, but I got some much needed rest! I'm off to the kitchen to make my special Monday morning breakfast-with coffee! YAY! It really does make Monday's special for me. Then, I will get the boys started with their schoolwork. Only 4 more weeks to go! I'm excited at the thought of almost having a whole nothing year of homeschooling accomplished! This year went pretty well, with no real "issues" that I can recall. Subjects were good, curriculum used suited our needs, didn't get behind...it was great! I have some summer reading planed for both boys, just to keep them a little occupied and out of trouble, while still giving them (and myself) a break. My oldest will be doing book reports on some of his too...he hasn't done much of that, because any kind of creative writing, or explanatory writing is difficult for him. I felt is was something that would be good to develop over the summer when other subjects aren't being worked on as well. Back to today though, after breakfast I plan to:

Put away clean laundry_DONE

Wash a few extra dished that were left from last night, plus breakfast dishes_DONE

Vacuum the dinning room_DONE

Start a load of laundry_DONE

Sweep and Mop the living room floor_1/2 DONE

put wash load in the dryer, start a new load_DONE

organize two bins that got clutter thrown in them_DONE

switch laundry around, start third load

PUT AWAY ALL CLEAN LAUNDRY!

I'm the worst at getting it clean, and then leaving it. I need to start disciplining myself to put it all away right after I pull it out of the dryer! Lastly, I will have a nice evening with the family, and do my bible reading and book reading just before bed. This is the best time for me to do it, because I am a night person, and will fall back asleep if I do it first thing in the morning, and I have to read undisturbed, or I get disturbed! So, after the kids are all in bed, I curl up with God's Word, and get what I need from Him to do the day all over again! Happy Monday everyone!

Reactions Define You (Please Read This!)

An exerpt from Debi Pearl's book: Created to be His Helpmeet

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Reactions Define You

"A wise woman does not dream of what "could have been." She does not see herself as "God's gift to men;" therefore, she is joyful and content in her present circumstances.

Your reactions break you loose from your social inhibitions and manifest who you really are indside and what you really believe at your core level. We lose our carefully preserved "front" when we are pressed beyond calculated thinking. Then, who we really are is made manifest.

You can control your future reactions considerably by changing the way you think you feel, and it will determine how you will react in stressful situations.

Researchers have determined that the average person thinks over 40,000 thoughts each day. The heart is filled with thoughts, and it is out of that reservoir of thoughts that the mouth speaks words of praise or bitterness. When the pressure is on, and tha dam of reservation breaks loose, you cannot control what you say, because you will speak from the abundance of your heart-from the 40,000 thoughts you had that day, and all the days before. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." (Luke 6:45.) If you, as a wife, are going to change the way you have been speaking, it is not a matter of willpower; it is a matter of thought power. "For as he thinketh in his heart , so is he..." (Prov.23:7). You must bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (II Cor. 10:5). "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts..." (Matt. 15:19). As Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil.2:5). You will be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2), not by the strength of your will to hold your tongue. God tells you how to think about your role as wife and help meet. If you believe him, you will think differently.

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This text can be applied to male or female, child or adult. In family situations or on the job, church, friends, grocery store, anywhere. Really pay attention to the thoughts that you allow to run through your head in a day, and you may be really surprised...and not in a good way. But, with the Lord's help, you can change that, and be a much happier, and better person.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, I hate to dissapoint all of you, but I will not be standing on the scale today. We have been having Revival services this week at church, (hence the silence on the blog) and God has asked me to focus on my heart and spirit this week, and not my weight. Great and wonderful things have been happening in the services so far, and I am so excited to continue. God has spoken through these Preachers, and the Spirit has MOVED! Praise God! I am still just so excited about tonight's sermon, especially. I REALLY needed this right now, and I am being blessed! So, I will report back in next week, or as the Lord leads. I am still eating healthy and walking as I can, but what I weigh is not of importance this week. I hope you all have a great week. I'm going to try and do a Thankful Thursday post about the meetings, and what's been going on in my heart, as time leads!

Weigt Loss Wednesday

Well, I type this post this morning with mixed feelings. I'm sad, because the scale is only showing a .08 loss for the week. That's 2 tenths from being a pound....it's still a loss, but it's not what I want it to say, and it's not accurate. I'm optimistic though, because I know it's only reading that because of water weight. I stepped up my exercise into high gear, from almost no gear, and that's going to make your body temporarily hold onto water. As soon as my body gets used to the exercise and the water I'm drinking, it will let go of the excess water, and that number on the scale will go way down, and my loss number will go way up!

This week is going to be a challenge! I have to lose 3 pounds by next Wednesday to meet the goal that I had set for the month. That's more than I've lost in any given week so far this month. But, I think I can do it. I'm going to have to stay focused, and keep my eye and mind on the goal, but I really think I can reach it. I think I'm holding at least half that in water weight right now, so if my body will let go of that soon, I'll just have a pound and a half to lose. Plus, I am on a good exercise routine now and even though I'm not specifically counting calories, I am paying attention to about how many are in each meal and snack that I eat. Along with that, I have now set low, moderate, and high caloric intake days. This keeps my body guessing as to how many calories it needs to burn, so it won't shut down my metabolism. I've been very successful with this in the past! So, here's to 3 pounds and an awesome post next week!!

Move It Monday

Okay, I guess we'll start with the after pictures for my project organized home post from last Friday! I disciplined myself and got it ALL done! Very happy and proud of myself!

Hallway is clean! I was going to bring up some magic eraser and take the markings off the walls, but we're thinking of painting the hallway, so I'll wait until we decide.

The girl's bedroom is all clean, organized, and the decor on the walls is fixed. I wish pictures did justice for this room...this is my favorite room in the house to be in...it's just beautiful!

And lastly, the girl's playroom is finished to. This is the one that I really had to discipline myself on. I did it last, and it was sooooo messy because we threw everything in here from the other rooms. Once I got in here, I had to decide what was trash, what was to be donated, what we were keeping and where we were going to put it! I should have taken better pictures because it turned out nice as well. It's a purple, pink theme with hot purple and pink curtains, hot pink and green flowers on the wall, and hot pink and purple storage drawers. It's cute too. But, now the girls have a wonderful place to play again, and they've been up there ever since. One of my girls had company over the night I was doing this room, so I paid Mr. Pure at Heart $1.00 to help me do clean the room! He was such a big help!

Well I certainly moved it this weekend! Now, let's hope I have some left in me for today! I am going to go make my favorite and special Monday breakfast and treat myself to some decaf coffee this morning! YAY! Then, I plan to:

*Wash dishes_DONE

*Scrub cabinets & counter tops_DONE

*Sweep and mop kitchen floor_DONE

*Sweep and mop living room floor

*Put the girl's laundry away that I washed and folded on Saturday

*If time allows, I want to move around some things in the closets upstairs

What are you doing to make Monday special, start off the week on the right foot, or keep yourself moving?!

Project Organized Home-Taking back the upstairs

Okay, so this is going to be very hard to post...very embarrassing. But, it's time for a wake-up call. Upstairs is pretty much the kid's domain. The boys share the large room up there, and the girls sleep in one of the small rooms, and their toys are in the other small room. We call them the "purple and pink room" respectively. Now we only have one full bath, and that's upstairs, so my hubby and I do have to go up there to shower. But, for the most part, the kids rule all up there. Now, I have unfortunately let things get out of hand. They are supposed to clean their rooms daily, but I do not always check up on them. I forget myself, on really busy days. Sometimes I don't go up there at night either, because we read stories downstairs, and then the kids put themselves to bed. My husband goes up there everyday to shower after work, but I have been really stressed out lately, and he has been kind enough not to say a word about the condition of it up there. The kids seem to have it fairly descent, although not what I really want, when I go up in the morning to shower. (or they have their doors shut) But during the day, tornado's must happen, because this is what I went upstairs to this morning....brace yourself....

AAAHHHHHHH!!! It's horrible, I know. We've been on spring break the last two weeks, and I think this was slowly developing without me noticing the severity of it. When we aren't doing school, the kids have a lot more time on their hands during the day to make big messes like this. Hubby and I have been working so hard on the outside of the house too, that we must have just turned a blind eye to what was going on up here. The grass from the Easter baskets has overflown and is all over the floor of every room upstairs except for the bathroom. Toys and clothes are EVERYWHERE! The boy's room wasn't too bad, but I noticed at least half of the stuff in the hallway was theirs. Goodness gracious! NO LONGER!

I AM TAKING BACK THE UPSTAIRS!

I have already started working on it, and will continue on it all weekend until it's just the way I want it! Then, I will disciple myself to check up on their "cleaning" every night. Needless to say, we are going to be making a couple trips to a donation drop-off! Come back Monday, please, please, so you can see the clean, organized rooms I once had, and will have again!

I AM WEDNESDAY

I am...

...very strong willed.

...in love with my husband of 11 years.

...stubborn and thick headed at times.

...ALWAYS very, very emotional. (thanks mom)

...a procrastinator.

...loving, and kind.

...compassionate, and empathetic. (thank you Lord, thank you)

...not self-disciplined, but I'm working on it.

...horrible at keeping up with laundry.

...a Pizza fanatic!

...a perfectionist. Although I'm starting to believe it may be mild OCD!

...a proud mother of 4 beautiful children!

...a child of the King! Looking forward to my home in Heaven!

...a sucker for fudge brownies, and donuts.

...ME!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Go to The Simple Woman's Daybook for more Daybook posts! Peggy would be happy to have you!

For Today~April 13, 2010

Outside my window~GREEN! It's beautiful! The leaves are back on almost all of the trees, and the beautiful green color that Georgia is known for, is finally back! I moved my computer to a desk in my bedroom, and literally all I see out my front window, is green trees of all sizes and shapes, green grass, sunshine and birds! How glorious!

I am thinking~that I really need to finish painting the front deck now that the wasps and pollen have settled down a bit!....I can see part of it out my window too...needs to be finished!

I am thankful for~God's beauty outside, and wonderful Christ honoring music that can lift up my spirits and make for a great day, even when I wake up grumpy.

I am wearing~a nightgown still. Does that surprise you? I'm working on some daytime clothes, I really am.

I am going~absolutely nowhere today! I am going to enjoy Home Sweet Home today. No piano lessons for two weeks, no doctors appointments, no plans....except to enjoy our home, get caught up on schoolwork and housework!

I am currently reading~my spare time is limited to Bible reading, and learning more about the supplements I am selling, and using.

I am hoping~to get a lot of laundry done today...hubby really wants it all caught up.

On my mind~I think I may have a cavity that is going to be a hole in my tooth if not taken care of. We still don't have insurance, and can't afford a filling without it...so the tooth may just have to be pulled out one day. I'm trying to leave it all in the Lord's hands, and not fret. I just keep thinking about it, because I've had a hole in my other back tooth before, and it got infected and caused me GREAT PAIN. I just don't want to go through that again.

Noticing that~what we did in the front yard this past weekend really made a difference. I'm still shocked every time I step out the door or pull up in the driveway! A nice shock!

From the learning rooms~getting started again this week, after a long spring break. Only 6 more weeks to go to finish the school year!

From the kitchen~nothing exciting. Just some BBQ chicken today, and some cornbread...wait...that is kind of exciting!

Around the house~so much to do. Laundry, moping, dusting, sorting. One step at a time!

From my picture journal~

Move It Monday

Hooray! Monday is here!

Well, I have decided that every Monday morning, I am going to make myself a special breakfast. I am now having Reliv Slimplicity shakes every day for breakfast, and I very much miss my whole wheat toast, 2 eggs over easy, and decaf coffee. So, to make Monday's special for me, and to start of my day with enthusiasm, I will have my special breakfast every Monday morning. Following breakfast today, I am going to:

*Wash the dishes_DONE

*Sweep and Mop kitchen floor

*3 loads of laundry_DONE

*Clean fish tank & Add new water_DONE

*Move bookshelf from bedroom to living room

*Sweep and Mop Living room floor

*Clean bathrooms_DONE

I think that will be enough to keep me moving! And if I accomplish it all, I will be well on my way to a fully productive week, and a beautiful house! We worked all weekend on the front yard, and I can't wait to show you a picture! It's sooooo neat and tidy! So what are you doing today?

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for specific answered prayer! God answered my prayer today, and we found out some of the things that my son is allergic to! The appointment went very well. We found out that he is allergic to dogs, cats, dust mites and alternaria, which is a type of mold. So, our dogs have to go outside now, which is heartbreaking, but, we'll live. I had to buy him allergen matress and pillow protectors, and his comforter has to go, or be washed in hot water twice a week. Plus, the curtains had to come down and be replaced with blinds. When he's old enough to do a more in-depth test, we'll know if we need to replace the carpet with wood or vinyl flooring, or treat the carpet with an allergen spray. The good news is...no food allergies! YAY!

The doctor said that he's too young for shots if we can avoid it, so for now he just put him on a stronger daily medicine and kept the nasal spray. He also believes he has more going on than just allergies, but he's still too young to find out exactly what. Possibly asthma, or something else. He'll have another appoinment in 4 months. I'm just so happy and thankful to know exactly what he's allergic to so far! And what he's not allergic to! We'll be starting his supplements tomorrow.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, I lost another 2 pounds this week! YAY!

I am so proud of the choices I have made this week, and with every good choice, comes the motivation to make the next one! We had a church dinner this week, and ate out once this week, and I ate good foods, and had just a teeny tiny portion of a dessert. The results speak for themselves! I am finally starting to feel like I may actually achieve this goal that I've had for so long now. I am going to start taking a weight loss supplement, and am anxious to see how much that will help me! It's not what you think...it's a healthy supplement full of vitamins that is intended to replace lunch everyday. It's from the company Reliv and I am now a distributor for the company. I really had to be, in order to afford it for our family. We all have our own health issues, and they have something that will help each one of them. From arthritis, to allergies, to hormone and weight issues, all of it.

My aunt has been in the business for 3 years now, and takes the supplements herself. They have given her increased energy at 50 something, and gotten rid of all her joint pain. My mother has been taking the supplements now, at 3 times the dosage, and it has drastically improved her MS. She is walking better, has more energy than she has in years, and she just got an MRI done, and there is no changes in the disease right now! Praise GOD! So, I am excited to see what these supplements will do for our family. I am starting off with the Slimplicity for myself, and the Kids Reliv, and Innergize for my least healthiest son. (The one whose going to the allergy specialist tomorrow) Then, when money allows, we will move on to hubby's joints. I will certainly share with you how we do on our health journey, just as I always have! And do please pray for Mr. Pure at Heart's appointment tomorrow.

Move It Monday!

Okay, so here's the new post I'm working on! I will eventually have a button and may or may not ever decide to hook up with Mr. Linky. But, feel free to post your own, and put your link in the comment section, or just let us know what you are accomplishing for the day! And if you are having the Monday, Monday..kind of day, just congratulate me on my day! HeHe

I LOVE MONDAYS!! Even on the days I start out a little slow, I'm still looking forward to the day itself! I am back on a routine, I am in charge of my house, and I just feel on top of the world, ready to conquer it...even if it's just a load of laundry I'm going to conquer! Monday is the first day of the week, and I just don't like starting off the week on the wrong foot. I don't want to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to start thinking positively about the week. I want the WHOLE THING to go as well as possible. So, if a conscious effort can be put forth the beginning of, on the first day of the week, it can really make a difference. I refuse to let the Monday "curse" get to me. Even if you have to go off to work, at a job you don't like, you can still put your best effort and a good attitude forward. Do something special only on Mondays. Treat yourself to Starbucks on the way to work, only on Monday...eat a special lunch at your favorite place, or take your favorite lunch, only on Mondays. You get the idea...find SOMETHING that will be special enough to give you something to look forward to every Monday. Something that allows you to turn to a "Move It Monday" attitude rather than a "I Hate Mondays" attitude. You never know, it could change your week! And it will certainly improve your Sunday's, because you won't spend them dreading the next day!

So, let me know what you are going to do to make Monday's special for you, or let me know what you have on the agenda for the day. Since I work at home, and already love Mondays, every week, I will have a list of what I intend to do that day to keep myself moving, and start out the week NOT behind schedule! And I assure you, some days start out slow...I don't always wake up wanting to conquer everything...but positive thinking eventually takes over, and leads to positive doing!

Just What DID We Do?

Great job everyone! We did hang something over the door. We've had it ever since moved into the house. We've had it for three houses now, actually. Thanks to hubby delaying FOREVER (love you honey) in getting it up, I actually had to paint it again, because it had began to rust. I love it though. The house was so "boxy" and as most of you know, I'm not a boxy person! It really breaks it up, and I'm very happy with that. Plus, there was all that dead space in between all 4 windows. Our neighbor said that one family had a large wreath hanging there, but I'm not much for wreaths unless it's Christmas....on the outside.

And yes, we took down the tree. There were two there when we bought the house, and hubby immediately took down one of them. I was able to spare the other one's life, but we soon found out the next year, that we cut down the wrong one. The one remaining wound up being a SweetGum, and they grow very fast, very large, and have branches that fall down easily. Not a good idea for 3 feet from the house, and over the front deck! So, it had to go. I thought I was going to hate it, but I LOVE all the open space! I love not having to duck under a tree to get to the van! And, it looks much better from the curb, it really does.

What did you all miss?.....We put up house numbers! On the rare occation that we have pizza delivered, I get the third degree from the pizza guy that he can't see the numbers on the mailbox, or the one's I have on a stone under our front tree, so these were just for him. They break up the "boxiness" of the house even more, and we really like the way they look with the other changes!

We have soooo much more to do out front, and I can't wait to show you when we are done. When it's finished, I will have to scan the pictures of the house when we first bought it, and show you the real before and after! We've chopped bushes down, enclosed the carport, added buildings, it will be a great comparision! Thanks for playing along!

FYI~Music

I just wanted to write a quick note on the music on this blog. I added a few new songs, so as to not get to bored of the 3 I had on. The songs by Third Day, do have drums in them, and are considered to be Christian Contemporary music. If this offends you, I am sorry, and you may scroll down to the bottom of the blog, and choose songs that are not by them and are strictly Gospel songs, or you may turn your sound off. There is a scroll bar on the side of the music box, that allows you to scroll up and down through the songs listed. There is also a little icon on the top of the purple music box, that will turn the shuffle off, so that the songs play in order. All the Third Day songs are on the bottom of the list. I know that there are a wide range of people who read this blog, and I want it to be a blessing to everyone who visits regardless of where they are in their walk with the Lord. Whether they don't even know of Him yet, are as close to Him as humanly possible, or are somewhere in between. I chose songs that have been a blessing to me at some point in my life, and I hope they will be a blessing to someone else as well. Music has always been very important to me and God has spoken to me through music on oh, so many occasions. I know some don't like music on blogs, but I feel led to have it on mine, so I hope that won't deter too many people from visiting! Okay, thanks!

Project Organized Home~Before and After

YAY! I finally get to show you some pictures of what we've been working on! I'm going to start with a picture I promised you several weeks ago...sorry bout that...the picture of my kitchen with the new matching stove. But of course we must do a...

Before...

After...

Isn't it beautiful! For the first time in my whole adult life...I have matching appliances! And the new, high table and stools have just made this almost a dream kitchen for me! I'm still hoping hubby can make me more cabinets and counter tops against the fridge wall someday, but I'm not anxious...I love what I came up with for that wall, and it will do for however long!
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Now, on to the very present. Since hubby didn't get his shop done yet, and I couldn't start the spring cleaning projects I wanted to start, I found something else to do. All it cost me, so far, is $20.00 and a WHOLE LOT OF TIME! I wish I had better pictures to choose from for the before, but this is the only one I have on the computer, so I'll show you the before and after, and give you a chance to figure out what all we did!

Before...

After...

Well, one of the obvious things is, I am painting the deck white! By the way, sorry about the hazy photo, it was early and my lens kept fogging up! The planters have been there, but now they "pop" and I can't wait to see how they look when the flowers grow and hang over the edge! Right now I have pansies and petunias in them, but soon I will replace the pansies with some green foliage of my choosing...I haven't decided what yet. I've done vinca vine, fern, and ivy in the past. Last year I put impatiens in these planters, and they were spectacular! They grew so huge, and full!

I only have one coat on most of the porch so far, and some of the lattice isn't even painted yet, but I've gotten a great start, and couldn't delay showing you some pictures! I love how my Easter flag matches so well!


These two pictures (above and below) show you why this is taking me so long! I have to paint all the different angles of the lattice, and I have to paint around all the ivy! I'm trying not to paint the ivy, because it's beautiful and I love it. I think it will really look pretty when it grows out again in front of that crisp white color, instead of the brown wood stain. But man, is it taking forever. Plus, it's warm enough now, that the wasps have come out in full-force and I have to paint in the early morning and late evening to avoid them. There are over 50 if them during the day, trying to nest in our shudders. We spray them, kill a bunch, and then more come...aahhh!

So, did you figure out what all we did? ..other than take down the Christmas lights! I'll give you a hint, we added things, and took something big away! Let me know in your comments what you've noticed, and I'll tell you tomorrow, just what all we did!